National Air and Space Museum: Planets, and Moons and Stars – Oh My!

During the summer months, Turning the Page partners with local museums and other cultural sites to host a series of innovative field trips that connect families to Washington, D.C. and Chicago’s many resources. Using the cities themselves as classrooms, these educational field trips help combat summer learning loss and also provide opportunities for families to experience fun and often unique activities around these beautiful cities, regardless of income or home neighborhood. Earlier this month, Turning the Page visited the National Air and Space Museum on Thursday, August 1, 2019.

Discovering New Worlds

This learning excursion was a part of the “Summer of Science”-themed family trips. This visit to the museum included some major highlights – one being our close look into the solar system in the planetarium.  Inside the planetarium, students were able to “travel” millions of miles into outer space. Students learned about the various NASA missions that resulted in new discoveries.

Later, families were led to a special presentation about flight led by one of the museum’s Explainers. They learned about the different forces that allow for flight and the ways that the science of flight has evolved over time to allow for easier travel and sophisticated research beyond the limits of the planet Earth.

Following the live demonstration, parents and our youngest Turning the Page students enjoyed a story time. Older students continued to investigate the scientific principles of flight. These included force, gravity, friction and velocity to name a few, in the interactive “How Things Fly” exhibit.  The exhibit provides a hands-on experience that allows students to learn about and apply principles of flight through play, simultaneously.

This trip was a great follow-up to our previous field trip to the NMAAHC. There, students were treated to a special presentation  by astronaut Benjamin Alvin Drew. Drew has journeyed into space on two separate missions and was aboard NASA’s last shuttle flight before the shuttle program was discontinued in 2011.

 

Want to support STEM focused learning excursions like this in the future? Make a donation to Turning the Page today!

By: TTP Staff
August 8, 2019